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119-hr-8336119th CongressWALLET

Helping Ensure Reliable Opportunities in Child Care for Military Families Act

Sponsored By: Representative Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would expand child care capacity and reliability for military families by broadening who can provide care and by building centralized data to cut waitlists and support readiness. It would add new authorities to recruit National Service Volunteers and remove some prior-service limits to increase available providers and placements in military child development centers.

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  • Military families would get more child care options and placements through expanded eligible providers and partnerships with national service programs.
  • Child care workers and applicants would face a new preclearance process with FBI fingerprint and state checks plus health screening, could use voluntary job-sharing (each worker at least 20 hours per week), and could receive limited installation benefits like commissary and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation access on care days.
  • The Department of Defense would build a DoD-wide child care readiness data system with standardized data updated at least every 90 days and must deliver reports on waitlists within 90 days and on readiness impacts within 180 days.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More child care staff and supports

If enacted, the bill would widen who can work in Department of Defense child care programs by removing a prior-service rule. It would allow national service volunteers to be placed in military child development centers if they meet training and hiring rules. DoD would have to write rules by June 1, 2027 for preclearance that includes FBI fingerprint and state criminal checks and a health screen; preclearance could be valid up to one year and would require annual reverification. The Secretary could allow voluntary job-sharing (two people share one full-time job, each working at least 20 hours per week). The Secretary could also give limited, nontransferable benefits to child care employees and must issue guidance within 180 days.

One DoD child care data system

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of Defense to build a unified child care readiness data system for all services. The system would track capacity, utilization, staff vacancies and turnover, compensation ranges, and waitlists (including off-base and nontraditional hours). Data must be standardized across services and updated at least every 90 days. The Secretary would brief the Armed Services Committees within 180 days of enactment and annually after on findings and gaps.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

VA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 4/16/2026

  • Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2]

    IA • R

    Sponsored 4/29/2026

  • Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 4/29/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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